Dr. Thomas Toppino Dr. Toppino is the Director of the Memory and
Cognition Lab. He serves as Chairperson of the Department of
Psychology and previously served as the Director of Villanova's
Cognitive Science Program.
Amy Coyle Amy is graduate student
working on her Master's thesis. Her work broadly addresses
processes underlying the spacing effect and the testing effect. Amy got
her undergraduate degree from Indiana University of PA.
Matt Pagano Matt is a graduate student
working on his Master's thesis. His work has focused on spacing
and testing effects and related issues in metacognition. Matt's
undergraduate degree is from Lafayette College.
Nick Schaefer Nick is a senior psychology major who has
contributed to several projects in the lab. In particular, he has
been working on the effect of encoding processes on how learners choose
to distribute practice.
Andrew Petsche Andrew is a senior psychology major who
has contributed to several projects in the lab, including experiments
investigating the influence of the retention interval on the spacing
effect.
Recent Lab Alumni
Shaun Baldwin
-- Master's thesis was conducted on the same race effect.
U.G degree from Temple University.
Michael Cohen --
Master's thesis investigated metacognitive decisions
related to the distribution of practice. U.G. degree from
Swarthmore College. Went on to a Ph.D. program in cognitive
psychology at UCLA.
Regina Coles
-- Master's thesis
examined the role of retrieval in the testing effect. U.G. degree
from
Richmond University. Now a Clinical Research Coordinator in the
Neurology Department at Georgetown University.
Abby Costello --
Master's thesis investigated how the properties of feedback affect
learning and retention. U.G degree from Muhlenberg College.
Mike Gillen --
Master's thesis examined the role of adaptation processes in the
perception of reversible figures. U.G. degree from Rutgers.
Went on to a clinical Ph.D. program at Northern Illinois University.
Amy Moors --
Master's thesis examined the the effect of spacing repetitions on
category formation as a function of between-category discriminability.
U.G. degree from William Patterson University. Went on to a Ph.D.
program in social psychology and gender studies at the University of
Michigan.
Meghan Davis --
Graduated with an M.S. from Villanova in 2009. Conducted research
on metacognitive decisions in learning and the role of retrieval time in
the testing effect. U.G. degree from Lafayette College. Went on to
a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Rutgers University.
Kathleen Dempsey --
Graduated with a B.A. from Villanova in 2009. Research investigated the
effect of spacing repetitions in children. Went on to
a Ph.D. program at Fordham University.
Livia Fortunato --
Graduated with a B.A. from Villanova in 2009. Research investigated the
roll of retrieval time in the testing effect. Went on to an M.S.
program in psychology at St. Joseph's University.
Matt Litke --
Master's thesis investigated the degree to which people understand that
distributed practice is superior to massed practice. U.G. degree from
Penn State.
Patrick Fay --
Graduated with a B.A. from Villanova in 2011. Was involved in research
investigating spacing and testing effects and related issues in
metacognition.
Shaun Baldwin
-- Master's thesis was conducted on the same race effect.
U.G degree from Temple University.
Michael Cohen --
Master's thesis investigated metacognitive decisions
related to the distribution of practice. U.G. degree from
Swarthmore College. Went on to a Ph.D. program in cognitive
psychology at UCLA.
Regina Coles
-- Master's thesis
examined the role of retrieval in the testing effect. U.G. degree
from 
Abby Costello --
Master's thesis investigated how the properties of feedback affect
learning and retention. U.G degree from Muhlenberg College. 
Mike Gillen --
Master's thesis examined the role of adaptation processes in the
perception of reversible figures. U.G. degree from Rutgers.
Went on to a clinical Ph.D. program at Northern Illinois University.
Amy Moors --
Master's thesis examined the the effect of spacing repetitions on
category formation as a function of between-category discriminability.
U.G. degree from William Patterson University. Went on to a Ph.D.
program in social psychology and gender studies at the University of
Michigan.
Meghan Davis --
Graduated with an M.S. from Villanova in 2009. Conducted research
on metacognitive decisions in learning and the role of retrieval time in
the testing effect. U.G. degree from Lafayette College. Went on to
a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Rutgers University. 
Kathleen Dempsey --
Graduated with a B.A. from Villanova in 2009. Research investigated the
effect of spacing repetitions in children. Went on to
a Ph.D. program at Fordham University. 
Livia Fortunato --
Graduated with a B.A. from Villanova in 2009. Research investigated the
roll of retrieval time in the testing effect. Went on to an M.S.
program in psychology at St. Joseph's University.
Matt Litke --
Master's thesis investigated the degree to which people understand that
distributed practice is superior to massed practice. U.G. degree from
Penn State.
Patrick Fay --
Graduated with a B.A. from Villanova in 2011. Was involved in research
investigating spacing and testing effects and related issues in
metacognition.
